Wanted to see games, didn’t: Kids
Posted Feb 28, 2011 10:49:36 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Nova Scotia’s attempt to get grade-school children to fill the spectator seats and volunteer during the Canada Winter Games drummed up a lot of excitement but not as much action.
Most of the kids we spoke to at Oxford School said they wanted to attend the events but they didn’t get a chance. Some even suggested they wanted to see their fellow school mate.
Grade 9 sudent, Ryan Falkenham was captain of the Nova Scotia boys’ hockey team and a provincial flag bearer for the events.
“Sadly, I couldn’t,” said Nolan, 11, before going back to school on the first day after the break. “I missed them because I was in Jamaica. I would have liked to. I don’t care which one I (would have) seen. It’d be pretty fun to watch.”
“I didn’t really know the schedule times so I didn’t really bother,” said Nikaya, 13, in the school yard before classes started this morning.
Shaelynn, 14, said she was a flag bearer for a squash competition, but didn’t attend any other events.
Heaven, 8, was the only spectator we spoke to, having attended a skating competition.
The province made the winter break an extra week long and moved it from March to February in an effort to encourage families to attend the events.
“We actually didn’t know that many people who were really closely involved,” said Nancy after dropping her child off at school. She too, said her family didn’t attend any of the events.
“We really weren’t that connected to what was going on with the games,” said Nancy. “We certainly followed the coverage in the newspaper.”
One parent said the break would have been easier if it had remained in March as it does during a normal year.
“I found that because of the winter games a lot of the day cares and day camps put their prices up,” Jennifer told News 95.7. “People were more or less marketing and marking things up because it was the Canada Games. Day Camps jumped an extra 50 to 60 bucks this year. They usually run $110. They ran for $175 this year, a week.”
None of the centers we contacted confirmed they had raised their prices this year.
